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Last Call: Everything you need to prepare for the Google Reader shutdown
This is the last call for everyone to migrate off Google Reader before it shuts down July 1. Follow these guidelines to put Google Reader behind you and get setup with one (or more) of the services that are ready and raring to become your new RSS home. Back up your Google Data Back up your Google Reader subscriptions and save them offline. You can use Google's Takeout backup service or a more powerful tool that'll save all your Reader data, including starred items, tags and more. Once you have your data saved offline, you can import it into any app or service you choose. Select another RSS Reader platform There are several platforms from which to choose if you want to replace Google Reader. Digg Reader: Digg Reader is a web app with an intuitive, minimalist design. It has fast syncing with mobile apps for the iPhone and iPad. The service integrates with Digg and is free to use, though a premium option may come sometime down the line. Even though it lacks search, Digg Reader is the service I'm going with for now. One major drawback is the lack of OPML import, so try to import your feeds before Google Reader goes offline. Read our review of Digg Reader. Feedly: Feedly has excellent third-party app support and a good web-based client. It's also free to use and is the service that many developers and users are adopting the most right now. This is my second choice behind Digg Reader, with one caveat -- without a monetization strategy, Feedly may not be able to sustain itself as it grows, and you may find yourself having to find another RSS solution again. Normally, these financials wouldn't enter my mind, but the abrupt shutdown of Google Reader has me questioning the longevity of each new service I try out. FeedBin: Feedbin has a Google Reader-like web interface and syncs with Reeder for iPhone, Mr. Reader and Readkit for Mac. It costs a reasonable $2 per month. You can read more about Feedbin in this excellent review from TidBits. Feedbin is my third choice because of the third-party apps, built-in Readability option and support for tags. NewsBlur: NewsBlur offers its own apps for the web, iPad and iPhone, but lacks third-party app support. Within its own apps, it has an intelligent filtering option and support for comments from the NewsBlur community. You can sign up for a free account that is limited to 64 feeds or opt for the paid version, which is $24 per year. You can read more about NewsBlur in this excellent review from TidBits. Feed Wrangler: Feed Wrangler has a great web UI and third-party app support. It uses smart streams to make RSS reading easier. Priced affordably, the service will cost you $19 per year. You can read more about Feed Wrangler in this excellent review from TidBits. AOL Reader: AOL Reader is the new kid on the block and is not as feature-filled as its competition. No mobile apps and no search are its biggest detractors. It is free to use , but has small, sidebar ads. Read our review of AOL Reader. NetNewsWire 4: NetNewsWire 4, the first version of the classic reader from current owner Black Pixel, is a polished OS X app with many convenient features like tabbed reading and a built-in browser. No native mobile apps and no third-party apps are a dealbreaker for me. NetNewsWire is free to use while it is still in open beta. You can save money by pre-ordering now for $10. The app will cost $20 when the final version with syncing is released. Read our review of NetNewsWire 4. Fever: Fever is a self-hosted solution that'll meet your RSS needs as long as you don't mind getting down and dirty with PHP and MySQL. The server build has a $30 one-time fee. Download some apps Most of the services above have their own OS X or iOS apps that you can use on your Apple devices. If you want something different, there are a handful of third-party apps that'll sync with services like Feedbin, Feedly and Feed Wrangler. You can browse through those third-party apps in our rundown of current RSS readers.
Reeder for iPhone goes free for now, gets Google Reader alternatives soon
Silvio Rizzi made the iPad and Mac versions of Reeder free to use in the wake of Google's plans to shut down Google Reader, but he left the iPhone app at its usual $3 price -- and its fate in the air. Existing users can now rest easy, as Rizzi has pledged ongoing support for the smaller screen. The current edition of Reeder for iPhone is now free to use, and an already-submitted 3.2 update will bring support for alternative news services like Feedbin, Feedly, Feed Wrangler and Fever. Anyone using the iPad and Mac editions will have to be patient, however. Both apps will eventually get the additional news sources, but Rizzi is taking down the existing releases on July 1st to minimize confusion while he works on updates.
Feed Wrangler: A subscription-based RSS reader for web and iOS
Feed Wrangler (US$19/year) is David Smith's subscription-based RSS aggregation and syncing service for web and iOS devices. If you're a Google Reader user, you're probably aware that the service will shut down on July 1st. This means you'll either go back to browsing your favorite news and blog websites the old fashioned way or you'll be looking for an alternative RSS reader. Though I'm not a heavy RSS user, I am curious to find a good alternative to Google Reader. And now that Feed Wrangler has launched, I thought it would be worth checking out. Feed Wrangler takes a different approach to RSS reading. Of course, you get to add feeds, view all your favorite web content in one place, and sync across multiple devices. But Feed Wrangler is somewhat different to others in that you pay a subscription fee to use the service. The idea being your support allows Feed Wrangler to offer excellent performance, while developing, growing and improving. While Feed Wrangler is simple to get to grips with for beginners and light users, advanced users have not been forgotten. Smart Streams lets you create custom feeds based on text filters. Very handy if you're looking to keep track of something specific. You can also filter items out by creating a filter with a particular search term, keeping unwanted content away from your feeds. Other features include full text search of subscribed feeds, starring and integration of read later services Pocket and Instapaper, a welcome feature, indeed! On the web, Feed Wrangler has a really clean and easy-to-use interface. It puts your content front and center, without any unnecessary distractions or cumbersome features. To add feeds, import from Google Reader, an OPML file or enter URL and RSS addresses manually. Adding feeds while browsing is made easy by clicking on a custom bookmark link to Feed Wrangler from the website you want to add. At version 1.0.1, the universal, free iOS app offers the same features as the web version as well as sharing options to Mail, Message, Facebook etc. The app interface is also clean and clear cut, though very basic, with everything pointing to content. My only immediate gripe was that there was no option to change the text size, which can be frustrating on mobile devices. But regardless, in no time I had my feeds setup across my devices -- everything syncing up perfectly. After spending a bit more time with Feed Wrangler, I was pleased to find how stable and speedy it was -- things worked as they should. It was great to be able to set up Smart Streams and filter out content I wasn't interested in, a feature I've not taken advantage of before. At the end of my time with Feed Wrangler, I found myself wondering if I would miss Google Reader using a service like Feed Wrangler. The conclusion I came to was that I would miss Google Reader, but I think purely for nostalgic reasons. For me, Feed Wrangler did everything I wanted a RSS reader to do. With time, Feed Wrangler could easily become my go-to RSS reader. It's clear there's still a bit of growing up to do, particularly in terms of design and interaction, but the core functionality is well and truly in place. Would I pay $19 annually to use it? If I were a heavy RSS user looking for solid performance and great features, then yes, I would. And taking into consideration Feed Wrangler's commitment to developing and growing (there's already a Mac client on the way), the $19 price tag makes even more sense.
